A second successive top-ten spot remains within Cologne’s grasp, but it may not be a satisfactory season for team management after last season’s impressive seventh place finish. The hosts come into this final round two points clear of Borussia Mönchengladbach in 11th, but the chasers have what should be a much easier final game at home to Augsburg, while Cologne have to try and stop a highly motivated Bayern Munich side at risk of losing their Bundesliga crown.
History is against Cologne finishing on a high after they suffered defeat in all but one of their last four Bundesliga finales (W1), with that one win coming against the already relegated Schalke in 2021. The Billy Goats have a dreadful recent history with Bayern, though their latest memory of this matchup is one to draw inspiration from after January’s 0-0 draw in Munich snapped a run of nine consecutive H2H losses.
As it stands, that is one of the results that could directly cost Bayern the title. They’re two points away from new leaders Borussia Dortmund, who profited from Bayern’s shock 3-1 defeat at home against RB Leipzig to leapfrog them into the top spot last weekend. Gazing down the barrel of finishing runners-up for the first time since 2012, midfielder Thomas Müller issued a rally call to his teammates this week by stating they have to “find every spark” they can to get the win in Cologne.
Another defeat here would not only end their title ambitions but would also hand Bayern successive league defeats for the first time since way back in December 2019. With so much on the line, supporters of the Bavarians might take comfort from the fact their side has at least gone out with a bang by winning 14 of their last 16 matchday 34 fixtures (D1, L1).
Key battle: Coming into the round, only one Bundesliga player had won more tackles than Cologne defender Jonas Hector (60). He is likely to be one of the many men trying to stop Bayern’s red-hot Serge Gnabry, who scored his fifth goal from his last four starts against Leipzig.
Hot stat: Cologne have failed to score in four of their six home games against current top-seven sides (W1, D1, L4).
